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Following rules versus clinging to wrong rules — how to tell the difference
Published by The Retail Trader · AUG 04, 2026 · Trading Psychology
Discipline is the most praised quality in trading. It has an opposite form too — continuing to follow a system that is not working at all. From the outside the two look alike.
Discipline means you protect your rules from the emotion of each individual trade. Reviewing the rules is a separate activity.
Stubbornness begins when the review data is in front of you and is ignored — because changing the rules feels like admitting a mistake.
The decision to change rules should rest on these things:
• Enough sample — ten trades are not data, they are noise.
• A fixed review date, not right after one bad trade.
• One specific change at a time, so its effect can be measured.
• The reason for the change written down, so it can be verified later.
Rules should never be changed in the middle of a trade, and you should not fear changing them after a review either. Discipline means both things happen at their own time — one in front of the terminal, the other away from it.
This article is for educational purposes only — it is not a buy or sell recommendation, makes no guaranteed-return claim, and is not advisory. Rules, rates and mechanics are changed from time to time by the exchanges, SEBI and RBI, so verify every number yourself with your broker or an official source.